The Albany-Hudson Electric Trail takes its name from a 36-mile rail-trail that follows the route of an electric trolley operating from 1899 to 1929 between downtown Albany and the City of Hudson through Rensselaer and Columbia Counties. The trolley transformed transportation in the area by offering a high-speed alternative to horse and mule travel on muddy roads, and at its height in 1915 it carried 1.4 million riders annually, helping drive major growth in communities along the line. In December 1929, rising automobile use and the Great Depression ended the trolley service. The former rail corridor is now owned by National Grid and remains important to the region's electricity distribution network. When the trolley line was built in 1899, electrical power reached communities along the route for the first time, and in 1901 the railroad opened Electric Park on Kinderhook Lake to promote interest in the new technology. Featuring two Ferris wheels, a roller coaster, and a large carousel, it became the largest amusement park between New York City and Montreal and drew crowds of more than 10,000 on warm summer days. Advertisements presented it as a refined place where alcohol was banned and ladies and children could go unattended. Its only surviving trace is Electric Park Road. The 750-mile Empire State Trail links people to New York's natural beauty, cultural heritage, iconic landscapes, and outdoor recreation, connecting urban centers, village main streets, and rural communities from New York City through the Hudson River Valley, west to Buffalo along the Erie Canal, and north to the Champlain Valley and Adirondacks.